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The results of the 2014 New Jersey Top Ten Beaches competition were announced Thursday, and Asbury Park beaches made the cut.

Beaches in the City by the Sea were voted number eight overall, according to Rory Joyce, a communications officer at the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium.

Respondents were also invited to nominate their favorite beaches in three categories: best beaches for a day trip, most family friendly beaches, and which beaches offer the best activities for ecotourists.

The city’s beaches came in fourth in the day trip category, Joyce said.

“First of all, I’m glad to be back on the list,” said Thomas Gilmour, city director of economic development. “The last time they did this was in 2012 and we didn’t make it that year. I think it indicates that people really recognize how great our beaches are. It’s a wonderful thing for the city, our department of public works and our beach crew do a wonderful job so it is nice to be recognized.”

Ocean City claimed the top spot. Second place went to Wildwood with Wildwood Crest coming in third. Following on the list, in order, were North Wildwood, Cape May, Belmar, Stone Harbor, Asbury Park, Sea Isle City and Island Beach State Park.

Created in 2008, the survey seeks to “encourage stewardship and pride in the state’s beaches while promoting a little healthy competition between New Jersey’s favorite beach towns,” according to the New Jersey Top 10 Beaches website.

Polls opened in mid-February and closed at midnight on April 30. The winners were announced at the Sea Grant Consortium’s State of the Shore event Thursday morning.

The New Jersey’s Top Ten Beaches Survey is sponsored by the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and the Richard Stockton College Coastal Research Center.

The survey was postponed in 2013 in recognition that many beach communities were in the process of recovering from damage due to Hurricane Sandy.

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